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Bhutto, 54, was being driven from the rally in her bulletproof vehicle when she asked that the rooftop hatch be opened so she could bid supporters farewell, according to several aides, including one who was sitting next to her.

As she leaned her head through the hatch, between three and five gunshots rang out, aides said. Bhutto sank back into her seat, just as a large bomb detonated to the left of her vehicle. Those inside the car said her face was badly bloodied. It was not clear whether she'd been hit by bullets or shrapnel from the bombing. She lost consciousness, aides said, and never regained it.

The explosion, apparently by a suicide bomber, killed at least 20 people outside the car, and injured many others. Police were investigating whether the bomber was also the gunman. One possibility was that the assailant fired the shots and then, after being tackled by security officials, detonated the bomb.

Coverage from around the world, including the inevitable politicization in this country, and a late update or two, all follow below...

In Washington, the State Department also condemned the attack. "It shows people are still intent on undermining democracy in Pakistan," said deputy spokesman Tom Casey...Pakistan --- which maintains nuclear weapons --- has been a key ally of the United States during its war against al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists in neighboring Afghanistan.

The UN security council today called an emergency meeting amid warnings that the assassination of Benazir Bhutto could push Pakistan into civil war....A UN spokeswoman confirmed that a security council consultation would take place at noon in New York....

Earlier this year, Ms Bhutto and Mr Musharraf had been working on a power-sharing agreement. The talks failed, leaving Ms Bhutto as the biggest political threat to President Musharraf, rather than an ally... One urgent decision is whether the 8 January national and provincial assembly elections should go ahead...

AFGHAN PRESIDENT HAMID KARZAI: We in Afghanistan condemn this act of cowardice and immense brutality in the strongest possible terms. She sacrificed her life for the sake of Pakistan and for the sake of this region.

Musharraf convened an emergency meeting with his senior staff, where they were expected to discuss whether to postpone the elections, an official at the Interior Ministry said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.

On the attempt to assassinate her in October: "We are prepared to risk our lives. We’re prepared to risk our liberty. But we’re not prepared to surrender this great nation to militants. The attack was on what I represent. The attack was on democracy and very unity and integrity of Pakistan.

Oil prices surged and American stock markets took a tumble on Thursday as investors grappled with a slew of weak economic data and concerns about economic fallout from the assassination of the Pakistani political leader, Benazir Bhutto.

And, before the reader criticism comes rolling in, we acknowledge that the assassination of Bhutto is an international tragedy. But, The Fix is a political blog --- no apologies for that --- and ANY event with this sort of international reach is sure to impact the way in which people think about the candidates and the campaign in this country.

Karachi, 27 Dec. (AKI) - (by Syed Saleem Shahzad) - A spokesperson for the al-Qaeda terrorist network has claimed responsibility for the death on Thursday of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.... “We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] mujahadeen,” Al-Qaeda’s commander and main spokesperson Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid told Adnkronos International (AKI) in a phone call from an unknown location, speaking in faltering English. Al-Yazid is the main al-Qaeda commander in Afghanistan.

AFP: Violence erupted in cities across Pakistan as mobs went on the rampage in a wave of anger that left at least 10 people dead and dozens wounded, officials said.... Bhutto's death stunned world leaders who appealed for calm and warned that extremists must not be allowed to destabilise the nuclear-armed nation before January 8 general elections.

A terrible day for my shoes too ... when I blew my lunch all over them ... after hearing hearing the "Deserter In Queef" utter "bring Bhutto's killers to justice" . . . . . He wouldn't know justice if it bit him on the ass. . .

somewhere inside me, I got the feeling, she wanted to be a martyr. yet with all the rioting, you just got to wonder how important certain people really are to the perceived stability.

57 nukes they got there (thank fuckin god they are disassembled.) and current leaders don't want democracy, just wonderful ain't it.

If I had to plan military against Pakistan, I would do an all out "cherry picking" spot removal of the nukes (e.g. physically removing them, steal them, or kill to get them... not blowing them up "USAF precision bombing style"; spare no expense to get them out.), then quit supporting that fucking country that wants to fight India and be a dictatorship now. This in my opinion would be a worthwhile US interest.

There's something really bizarre going on. I heard on the Mike Malloy show last night an audio recording of Bhutto being interviewed by David Frost where she states "Omar Sheik murdered Osama Bin Laden."

I have never even read about a "combined shooting and suicide bombing". In all these years in Iraq nothing of that kind ever happend - as far as i know at least, correct me if i'am wrong. My theory: a guy from some secret police was send there to shoot her and they packed his rucksack with a remote-controlled bomb to deflect the blame. And it is very telling that the FBI was able to blame Al-Qaida within hours. As they where able to do with Bin-Laden on 9/11...

Check out Keith Olbermann on Youtube, he got interessting facts on this.

musharif is a us backed military assassin,
bhutto was a us backed corrupt matryer,
lets put her 19 year old son on the world stage and call it the best we can do. Soon enough the turrorist are gonna have the nuclar parts they need and bomb us real good.
THANKS us foreign policy, or dare I say the cia who is responsible for the whole mess, bin laden included.

Yuh, if there were any doubt left in my mind about the hubris inhabiting that family, it was erased when I saw her kid taking over and his bumbling father trying to wind up the press conference. Those two will be eaten alive by the sharks... and they managed to make it, in just a minute or two, so I won't care very much when it happens.

You can see the video evidence of the gunman and then the press conference to which I refer here. Pfeh....